


Would You Be So Kind?

by selectural



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), F/F, Fluff, based on the song 'would you be so kind', honestly tooth rotting fluff, tenko being oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2019-05-01 12:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14520537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selectural/pseuds/selectural
Summary: Tenko falls in love too easily, and she swears, her crush on Akamatsu Kaede will be the death of her.





	Would You Be So Kind?

It was sudden, in an almost subtle way, if that made sense. A curl in her chest, like a tiny, tiny fist slowly gripping and tightening around her heart. Her lungs were in pain, aching persistently no matter what she was doing or thinking about. Butterflies swarmed her stomach and rose through her chest, tickling her ribcage and making her want to jump with joy because _yes_ , she was in _love_! And it was wonderful, oh so wonderful! Yet at the same time it made her want to curl up and hide, it was too many emotions all at once and they made her feel dizzy with euphoria and confusion and fear.

Tenko wasn’t a stranger to love. A girl could breathe in her direction and she’d be head over heels, those familiar feelings blossoming in her chest and filling her throat with heartache and fondness. They could last hours, or they could last months. It wasn’t unusual if she happened to stay in love for that long, especially if the lovely girl she had her eyes on kept feeding her with kindness and friendship. But she was used to those feelings not being reciprocated, seeing a soft, pitying smile from the girl in front of her as she confessed and feeling her heart sink at the sight of it.

“I’m sorry…” The girl would say, awkwardly avoiding Tenko’s gaze. 

“Oh, don’t be sorry! Tenko understands!” Tenko would always say in reassurance, because she didn’t need those feelings to be reciprocated. She always cared about the girl no matter what, even if they didn’t return her feelings. It didn’t feel good, sure. But what could she do? She wasn’t going to force anyone, no matter what. She respected girls too much to try and do something like that. She wasn’t a gross _degenerate_ male.

Before long, Tenko had stopped confessing. She knew she was probably too predictable and the girl in question could guess that she liked them, and she couldn’t take the direct rejection anymore. So she watched from the sidelines, appreciating the girl from afar. And that was fine. Everything was fine.

Then she met Kaede.

Of course, Tenko expected the standard routine she normally dealt with. Fall in love, be all giddy, back off and watch from the sidelines. She waited, waited for the butterflies to stop. For the fist around her heart to go away. For the heat in her cheeks to pass. But they didn’t, no matter what she did, or how much she thought about it. Weeks passed, eventually months. Every time she heard Kaede speak, those butterflies would return, and she’d kick at the floor, trying not to think about how cute Kaede’s determination was. Kaede and Tenko would talk, and Tenko would nearly lose focus, listening to Kaede’s voice and watching her excitement with a small smile and flushed cheeks.

Despite knowing that she should probably back off, Tenko continued to frequently hang out with Kaede. They’d laugh and talk until the sun went down, and the glow would bathe the world in red paint as bugs buzzed around and lanterns fluttered in the breeze. Tenko’s feelings grew stronger and stronger, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Kaede, couldn’t stop thinking about her laugh, her voice, her hair, her smile. How she’d get a dimple right beside her mouth when she grinned, or how her eyes would shine as her fingers glided across a keyboard. It was beautiful. _Kaede _was beautiful.__

__That night in the garden was one of the first nights they’d spent alone together. They parted ways beneath the moonlight, exchanging friendly smiles as they made their ways back to their respective dorms. It was long after Tenko had showered, brushed her hair, put on her pajamas, and all that other extraneous hullabaloo that she actually began to think about that night. Like a record, it played over and over in her head again and again. Kaede’s smile, so sure. The glow of the lanterns, breathing life into their words and shining orange light against Kaede’s cheeks, nose, and lips. The buzzing of the wildlife outside of their humble bubble, beneath an infinite blanket of stars._ _

__Tenko recalled one of her long pigtails accidentally coming loose, the tied ribbon undoing itself from the wear of the day. She hadn’t noticed right away. Though Kaede did, gently picking up the ribbon from where it’d fallen and leaning forward to tie it back on._ _

__“Here,” She’d said, her fingertips stopping just short of Tenko’s jaw as she gathered her hair into her hands. Tenko could feel the warmth emanating from Kaede’s palms. It took all of her will not to say anything she’d regret, and she tried to keep as still as possible as Kaede brushed against her cheek, tying the ribbon back into a neat little bow. Tenko swallowed as Kaede finally leaned back, her hand still on the bow, and she admired her own handiwork with an easy smile on her face._ _

__“Perfect.” Kaede breathed, but she was no longer looking at the ribbon. Her eyes shined from the flicker of the lantern and she made eye contact with Tenko. Tenko flushed, not tearing her eyes away from the intensity of Kaede’s stare. They held each other’s gazes for a second, two seconds, three seconds. After what felt like a lifetime, Kaede was the first to look away, pulling her hand away from Tenko’s hair and fiddling with a strand of her own hair._ _

__“It’s getting late…” Kaede acknowledged, a smile playing on her lips. Her cheeks burned a rosy pink color, and she looked back at Tenko once more. “We should do this again. Hang out, I mean. I liked this a lot.”_ _

__Tenko smiled, something light and tingly churning in her stomach. She gave it no second thought when she replied, “Yes. Tenko would like that.”_ _

__Hiding under her covers, Tenko tried to force her thoughts down, and at least get a little bit of sleep. It was nearly impossible. She kept thinking back to Kaede’s smile, radiating such happiness and warmth that Tenko didn’t feel the cold at all while they were out in the gardens. She almost didn’t want to fall asleep, and tried to reach back toward those memories as she felt herself slipping. She eventually did doze off, the thoughts of a beautiful blonde musician occupying her dreams._ _

__*****_ _

__It was a warm, Saturday evening when Kaede invited Tenko to her dorm. The invitation panicked Tenko, left her unsure of what to do or how to address the meeting. Was it silly of her to think of this in a romantic way? Her hands shook as she dug through her clothing, searching for something, _anything_. Should she dress casually? Maybe wear a dress? She shook her head, her cheeks warm. It was an _informal_ meeting with a dear friend, and she shouldn’t think of it any other way. She huffed assuredly, tugging an unassuming shirt and a flowy skirt from her dresser. Yes, that would do._ _

__Tenko hurriedly pulled her casual wear on and headed out, giving herself no time to stew in her doubts. Every time she had a negative thought, she’d raise both of her hands and smack her cheeks, shaking her head in an attempt to scatter her thoughts. She was sure her cheeks were bright pink as she arrived at Kaede’s door, and became suddenly aware of every breath, every beat of her heart. She nearly considered walking off but shook those thoughts away, knocking on Kaede’s door. Almost immediately it swung open, revealing Kaede with a bright smile on her face. Glancing at the pianist’s clothing, Tenko felt suddenly underdressed._ _

__Kaede wore a white sundress adorned in a pattern of blossoms, a pair of white knee socks a few inches beneath the end of the dress. Her hair looked a bit damp and was hung over her shoulder. In her hands she carried… a book? Tenko squinted, making out a few musical notes on the cover._ _

__“Tenko!” Kaede interrupted her thoughts, beaming at her. Tenko spluttered and made an attempt to speak._ _

__“Kaede… you look… very, um, very pretty tonight!”_ _

__Was Tenko mistaken or were Kaede’s cheeks pink? No, it was really hot in there. It would be understandable if Kaede’s face was red._ _

__Kaede smiled softly, idly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Tenko. You do too!” Without giving Tenko a chance to reply, Kaede stepped out of her room, closing the door and offering Tenko a hand. “Come on, I want to play something for you in the music room!”_ _

__Play something for Tenko? Tenko was speechless, but took Kaede’s hand nonetheless, noting how soft it was and hoping that her own hands weren’t too sweaty. Gently, Kaede pulled Tenko through the halls of the school, passing closed doors and a numerous amount of other rooms. The school was quiet at this time of evening. Other students were in their own rooms, or nonchalantly hanging around the grounds somewhere. They passed almost no one else on their way to the music room, and Kaede didn’t let go until they safely arrived at the door._ _

__Kaede pushed it open and led Tenko inside, giving her a reassuring smile as she pulled her hand away and approached the piano. It struck Tenko how strangely intimate this situation was as she gently shut the door behind them, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and turning around to face Kaede. The room was bathed in light, the setting sun still in sight as it sunk beneath the windowsill. The sky was stained in reds and gold, giving Tenko an almost nostalgic feeling._ _

__Kaede sat at the piano as Tenko turned her attention towards her, flipping through the pages of the book she’d been carrying. Oh, it was a music book! That made a lot of sense. Kaede set it upon the podium and stretched her fingers out before letting them flutter down easily to rest on the keys. Tenko shyly approached the piano and Kaede sent her a reassuring smile, gluing her eyes back to the book._ _

__The song Kaede began to play was slow, gentle. A soft lilt that carried Tenko’s heart and enveloped it in warmth. It quietly filled the room, speeding up slowly and becoming almost joyous. It was enamoring to watch Kaede play. The way she performed looked so natural, like she was born for the sole purpose of playing piano. Her fingers touched the ivory lightly and surely, gliding from key to key harmoniously and easing from fast to slow with no pauses or jarring notes._ _

__The song was soft, Tenko noted. It seemed to be under a lot of genres, being very mild but also uplifting. Kind of like Kaede. It was nice, standing next to Kaede and listening to her pour her heart out through her favorite things. It was also incredibly attractive to watch her be passionate._ _

__When Kaede finished, Tenko was astonished, and completely speechless. She offered no words as she bashfully took a seat next to Kaede, leaning on the seat and taking in a deep breath. Her heart fluttered as Kaede softly, almost hesitantly, placed her hand over Tenko’s, giving it a gentle squeeze._ _

__“I have a question,” Kaede smiled softly, lacing her fingers together with Tenko’s and holding their intertwined hands to her chest. Tenko’s breath caught in her lungs. “Would you be so kind,” Kaede whispered, her eyes twinkling with something Tenko couldn’t describe, something wonderful and affectionate. Her golden hair glowed softly in the golden rays that bathed the room. “As to fall in love with me?”_ _

__Tenko’s heart stopped and then started again all too quickly, pounding in her chest and filling her ears with a steadily increasing beat. Her face was red, she noted quickly, resisting the urge to place a hand against her cheek and cool it down. If she wasn’t speechless before, she definitely was now. “I-I, um, I’m-” Tenko stammered, swallowing and trying to calm herself down. Was it hot in there? “You… you misunderstand!” Bad choice of words. Watching Kaede’s face begin to fall, Tenko hastily tried to correct herself. “You misunderstand because, um, you’re implying that Tenko… that Tenko wasn’t already in love with you!”_ _

__Kaede’s eyes widened and she searched Tenko’s face for any implication of falsehood. There wasn’t any, Tenko was positive. “Tenko loves you…” Tenko whispered. “Tenko loves you like Neo Aikido, like nunchucks, like lemonade, like sunsets, like lanterns, like fireflies! Tenko loves you a lot, just as much as her favorite things!”_ _

__Tenko’s cheeks burned, and the silence that filled the room made her feel incredibly awkward. But that feeling melted away as Kaede smiled, a lovely, _radiant_ smile. Her fears and doubts shied away as Kaede leaned in, pecking Tenko on the cheek._ _

__“I love you too, Tenko.” Kaede rested her chin on Tenko’s shoulder, wrapping her other arm around her and resting it on the small of her back. Tenko relaxed and leaned against Kaede, closing her eyes and feeling the soft sunshine on her face fade more and more. It felt… nice. It was a satisfaction she’d never experienced before. With Kaede’s soft breathing on her shoulder, Tenko smiled, content to see the girl she loved happy. It was even better that her love was reciprocated this time, something sweeter than even her favorite things. It was something that she could definitely live with._ _


End file.
